Tow truck conveyor chain

Claim 2

An article of manufacture comprising a center link for a conveyor tow chain of the type having center links interconnected by pairs of side links, said center link comprising a flattened loop-like casting having a single slot extending substantially from end-to-end thereof lying in a vertical plane, a single roller journalled within and crosswise of the mid-length of said slot on horizontal axis pin means, said roller being sized to support both ends of said center link and of said side links connectable to the opposite ends of said slot of said center link out of contact with guide channel means in which conveyor tow chains commonly operate, and the portions of said slot to either side of said single roller being unobstructed and seating downwardly projecting bosses of a pusher unit assembled lengthwise of the upper side of said center link.

Claim 3

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said single roller is mounted crosswise of said loop-like casting with its axis offset vertically from the longitudinal center line of said center link.

Claim 4

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 2 characterized in that the opposite ends of said loop-like casting are semi-cylindrical and adapted to seat respective pivot pins for holding the opposite ends of said center link assembled between one end of respective pairs of side links.

Claim 5

Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said center link includes a tow truck pusher unit centrally of the upper side thereof, said pusher unit having an upwardly opening latch seating detent therein and including a pair of rollers supported side-by-side crosswise thereof the rear end of cooperating to engage and hold a tow truck latch centered between said pair of rollers as said latch is pushed by said pair of rollers and said conveyor tow chain.

Claim 6

Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 4 characterized in that said pair of rollers are sized to lie closely spaced from the upright sidewalls of said guide channel means to hold said conveyor tow chain centered crosswise thereof and out of contact therewith.

Claim 7

Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 5 characterized in that said side links of each pair thereof lie in vertically spaced apart horizontal planes with the lower one thereof held spaced above the interior bottom of said guide channel means by said roller means.

Claim 8

An article of manufacture comprising a center link for a conveyor tow chain of the type having center links interconnected by pairs of side links, said center link having a roller journalled crosswise of the mid-length thereof on an axis offset vertically below the longitudinal axis thereof and sized to support both ends of said center link and the adjacent ends of side links connectable to said center link ends out of contact with guide channel means in which conveyor tow chains commonly operate, a tow truck pusher unit secured to the mid-length of said center link on the opposite side of said longitudinal center line from said roller means, and said pusher unit having a latch detent adapted to seat a latch projecting downwardly from a tow truck to be towed.

Claim 9

An article of manufacture comprising a center link for a conveyor tow chain of the type having center links interconnected by pairs of side links, said center link having a roller journalled crosswise of the mid-length thereof on an axis offset vertically below the longitudinal axis thereof and sized to support both ends of said center link and the adjacent ends of side links connectable to said center link ends out of contact with guide channel means in which conveyor tow chains commonly operate, a tow truck pusher unit secured to the mid-length of said center link on the opposite side of said longitudinal center line from said roller means, and said pusher unit having a latch detent adapted to seat a latch projecting downwardly from a tow truck to be towed.

Claim 10

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 7 characterized in the provision of means on said pusher unit for centering a tow truck latch centrally of the opposite sides of said center link.

Claim 11

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 8 characterized in that said latch centering means includes a pair of rollers mounTed side-by-side crosswise of one end of said pusher unit with their remote peripheries adapted to engage the interior sidewalls of guideway means for a conveyor tow chain.

Claim 12

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 7 characterized in that one end of said pusher unit slopes inwardly and forwardly toward the adjacent end of said center link and forms means for camming a tow truck latch upwardly and thence into seating engagement with said latch detent.

Claim 13

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 7 characterized in that said pusher unit includes a pair of lugs projecting from one side thereof and straddling said roller means, and keeper means for holding said lugs assembled to said center link.

Claim 14

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11 characterized in that said keeper means comprises pins extending through the outer ends of said lugs with their ends engageable with the adjacent lateral edges of said center link to hold said pusher unit assembled thereto.

Claim 15

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 7 characterized in that said center link includes boss means thereon positioned to seat in complementally shaped recess means on the juxtaposed portion of said pusher unit to hold said pusher unit substantially against relative movement lengthwise of said center link.

Claim 16

An article of manufacture attachable to a center link of a conveyor tow chain of the type in which the center links are held assembled to one another by intervening pairs of side links, said article having an elongated main body formed with an upwardly opening latch seating detent, a pair of rollers in side-by-side relation crosswise of one end of said latch detent and cooperating to engage and center a tow truck latch therebetween, lug means projecting downwardly from the opposite end portions of said main body on the opposite side thereof from said rollers, and means adapted to lock said lugs and said main body assembled to a center link of a conveyor tow chain.

Claim 17

An article of manufacture attachable to a center link of a conveyor tow chain of the type in which the center links are held assembled to one another by intervening pairs of side links, said article having an elongated main body formed with an upwardly opening latch seating detent, a pair of rollers in side-by-side relation crosswise of one end of said latch detent and cooperating to engage and center a tow truck latch therebetween, lug means projecting downwardly from the opposite end portions of said main body on the opposite side thereof from said rollers, and means adapted to lock said lugs and said main body assembled to a center link of a conveyor tow chain.

Claim 18

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 14 characterized in that the end of said main body remote from said rollers is inclined outwardly and toward the roller supporting end thereof and providing a camming surface for lifting a tow truck latch into latching position in said latch detent.

Claim 19

A tow truck conveyor system comprising, U-shaped guideway means mountable in a floor with an upwardly opening entrance slot extending therealong, conveyor chain means concealed in said guideway means and having pusher elements thereon, tow truck means having a tow latch movably mounted thereon for movement between a non-towing retracted position and an extended towing position with its lower end extending through said slot into the path of a pusher element on said conveyor chain means, vertical axis roller means on the lower end of said tow latch, a pair of rollers supported on upright axes in closely spaced side-by-side relation on said pusher element positioned to engage said roller on said tow latch and hold the latter centered between the sides of said slot in said guideway means, and said pair of rollers being engageable with the interior sidewalls of said guideway means to hold said conveyor chain means centered crosswise of said guideway means.

Claim 20

A tow truck conveyor system comprising, U-shaped guideway means mountable in a floor with an upwardly opening entrance slot extending therealong, conveyor chain means concealed in said guideway means and having pusher elements thereon, tow truck means having a tow latch movably mounted thereon for movement between a non-towing retracted position and an extended towing position with its lower end extending through said slot into the path of a pusher element on said conveyor chain means, vertical axis roller means on the lower end of said tow latch, a pair of rollers supported on upright axes in closely spaced side-by-side relation on said pusher element positioned to engage said roller on said tow latch and hold the latter centered between the sides of said slot in said guideway means, and said pair of rollers being engageable with the interior sidewalls of said guideway means to hold said conveyor chain means centered crosswise of said guideway means.

Claim 21

A conveyor system as defined in claim 16 characterized in that said conveyor chain means includes support roller means thereon positioned at intervals therealong and engageable with the interior bottom of said guideway means to support other portions of said conveyor chain means out of sliding and rubbing contact with the bottom of said guideway means.